[Loch-Ruadh] Speaking Forsoothly - Daily Lesson 27
Pádraig Ruad Ó Maolagáin
padraig_ruad at irishbard.org
Wed Jan 10 10:16:12 PST 2007
Daily Lesson 27
Money 2
The Coins
*Sovereign: a gold coin worth 1 pound (think of it as 20 shillings).
There is no coin called the "pound" until after 1583, although that is the
basic monetary unit.
*Angel: a more common gold coins than the sovereign, the angel is worth
10 shillings (1/2 pound). Not usually used in speaking of a number of
coins; you would never say you owed somebody 6 angels, but you might give
your servant an angel to spend at faire. To coerce someone, you might
suggest that the sweet voice of an angel would convince him.
*Crown: the most common large coin, worth 5 shillings, and could be
either gold or silver. (The crown is roughly equal to a Venetian ducat, a
Flemish gelder, or a French êcu, which is sometimes referred to as a
"French crown").
*Half-a-crown: a gold or silver coin equal to 2 shillings 6 pence ("2 and
6").
*Shilling: a silver coin worth 12 pence. (Remember, 20 shillings make a
pound). Sometimes called a "bob".
*Sixpence: a silver coin worth six pence. Pronounced as one word:
SIX-pens (soft s-sound, not a z-sound)
*Groat: a silver coin worth 4 pence.
*Thruppence: a silver coin worth 3 pence. Pronounced "THRUP-pens"
*Tuppence: a silver coin worth 2 pence. Pronounced "TUP-pens"
*Penny: a silver coin worth a penny (one penny is never called a pence).
*Hapenny: a half-penny (not a ha'pence). Pronounced HAY-peh-nee
*Farthing: a 1/4-penny.
You may know the old Christmas Carol, "Christmas is Coming":
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat
Please to put a penny in the old mans hat
If you have no penny, a hapenny will do
If you have no hapenny, a farthing will do
If you have no farthing, then God bless you
Shakespearian Word/Phrase of the Day:
Fell galled, angry, melancholy
Ware the Duke this day; he lost at dice last een, and is in a fell mood.
Padraig
--
Nunc est bibendum.
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Politicians prefer unarmed peasants.
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